


Flutter Kick

by geesenoises



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-26
Updated: 2014-09-26
Packaged: 2018-02-18 20:08:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2360690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/geesenoises/pseuds/geesenoises
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Rin calls and tells him to come down to Samezuka, the sky outside has just barely lightened. (Written for the free_69min prompt "Cherry Blossoms.")</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flutter Kick

When Rin calls and tells him to come down to Samezuka, the sky outside has just barely lightened. Sousuke turns and squints at his clock. It’s not even six in the morning, and he says as much to Rin.

“Stop complaining and just get here. It’s not that far from your house.”

Sousuke rolls out of bed and staggers through his room to turn on the lights and pull out some clothes. “What are you even doing there anyway? We graduated, if you forgot. Moved out of the dorms and everything.”

Rin grunts and sounds like he’s being forced to admit to something when he replies, “I know you’re busy working for your dad today, and there’s something I want to show you first.”

Sousuke tries not to think about how willing he is to go whenever Rin calls; they’ve only been on the phone for a minute and Sousuke’s already halfway out the door. He sighs into the phone, but he’s not sure he’s really convincing anyone that this is something he doesn’t want to do. “Fine. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

There’s a pleased laugh from the other end of the line—a giggle, really, Sousuke thinks to himself. “Okay, just come straight to the pool.”

They both hang up and Sousuke goes to splash some water on his face and grab some bread before heading off to Samezuka.

* * *

Right on time, twenty minutes later, Sousuke’s walking through the school he graduated from a few weeks ago. There are a couple of swimming team members out for a run before morning swim practice starts and they nod to him in greeting, either slightly confused by seeing him or still too groggy to care that he’s there.

He notices it before he’s even close to the building. Rin sees him halfway down the path to the pool and jogs over to him, grinning. “How did you get them to let you lower the roof? They wouldn’t even do it when the air conditioning broke and the pool turned into a sauna over the summer.”

“I have my ways,” Rin says airily. He waves his hand vaguely, as if to emphasize his powers of persuasion.

Sousuke suppresses a laugh. “Did you call the principal and cry?”

Rin’s hand drops and he knees Sousuke in the leg. “Shut up. Just be grateful I’m about to show you something amazing.”

They reach the building and Rin pauses in front of the doors, with his back to Sousuke. He turns and flashes a grin at Sousuke before throwing the doors open for both of them to walk inside.

The pool is dappled by light from the sun, now rising in earnest and painting everything with a soft, muted glow. Cherry blossoms cover the entire surface and are generously scattered across the concrete deck around the pool. Rin runs a few steps in, kicking up petals in his wake. He stops short of the pool and turns to Sousuke. “I had to convince a few of the guys to climb into the trees last night and shake some petals down, actually. I wasn’t sure if enough would fall overnight.”

Sousuke follows in slower, looking carefully around at the dusting of pink everywhere, at a loss for words. Swirls of flowers float around in the pool, swept around by the pool’s filtration system. There’s the ever present hum and splash of pool water, but it feels muted, almost like the hush that descends on the world after a snowfall. Even the smell of chlorine is offset by the scent of cherry blossoms and the wet spring air that blows into the uncovered building.

“I don’t know if I ever told you this,” Rin starts quietly. “When I was a kid I always thought it’d be nice to swim in a pool of cherry blossoms. Something about it seemed peaceful. They had trees over the pool at Iwatobi elementary, but I left Japan before they bloomed. And last spring, those guys set it up but it rained before we could swim in it.”

He pauses and looks over at Sousuke, now standing next to him at the edge of the pool. The light from the sun finally reaches their side of the pool. Sousuke watches as it illuminates Rin’s face.

“I just thought… I really wanted to do it before I left for Australia again. Just once.” Rin laughs and spreads his arms wide, almost trying to encompass all of it. “It’s kind of selfish, I guess. I had to ask everyone for favors and call everyone—I got you up early for this, and Makoto and Haru are flying in from Tokyo today—and it’ll be a huge mess to clean up—”

A strong breeze gusts through in that moment, sending a cascade of flowers floating down from the branches above. Sousuke watches the petals flutter in the air between them and the breeze ruffle through Rin’s hair.

Sousuke grabs one of Rin’s hands out of the air and turns him so they’re standing close, facing each other. Sousuke stares down into Rin’s face for a moment—he looks more wide-eyed and open than he’s ever been before, standing at the very beginning of everything—and kisses him. Rin’s other hand hangs still in the air for a second before dropping to cup Sousuke’s cheek.

After a minute, they break apart. Sousuke keeps his eyes closed, resting his forehead on Rin’s, a wry smile on his face. “You always do drag me into your messes.”

Rin huffs slightly. “I don’t drag you anywhere you don’t want to go,” he says and pulls Sousuke in for another kiss.


End file.
